Empowered by the Sun
Jim Ayala shares his goal of making electricity accessible to millions of Filipinos in rural communities through solar energy, Eana Maniebo writes
Self-sufficiency for the less-privileged is what Jaime “Jim” Ayala had in mind when he made the jump from his high-paying corporate job to creating a social enterprise seven years ago. He founded Hybrid Social Solutions Inc (HSSi) in 2010 which aims to provide solar-powered devices to marginalised and remote communities in the Philippines. He also established the Stiftung Solarenergie Philippines (StS), a non-profit foundation that targets rural progress and povery alleviation through different applications of solar energy and donates to schools, clinics, and other foundations.
“Our goal is to empower them by meeting their needs that are largely neglected, such as access to electricity. There are about 20 million Filipinos who have no electricity or always experience blackouts,” says Ayala. His social enterprise ventures and its extraordinary work have earned him the prestigious Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2012 for the Philippines and put his name on the list of the Schwab Foundation’s 24 World Social Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2013.
HSSi already has 200,000 people using their solar-powered systems nationwide, which includes solar lamps, mobile phone chargers, power boxes for schools and health centres, and other home devices geared towards the improvement of off-the-grid communities. The company scouts for hard-to-reach places in provinces to bring their devices, sometimes even needing to cross more than 20 rivers and a number of mountains, and enlist the help of their microfinance partners to make purchasing the devices more affordable for the residents.
Ayala explains, “We make sure to provide financing so that with our units, they are able to save and earn more money. I realised that the better way to help them is to understand what they need and work with them to get it instead of just doling out money or other resources whenever I see them. I want them to be independent. When they have our solarpowered devices, they save money by not spending on electricity.”
Every HSSi unit has its standalone system that includes a solar panel installed on the roof, a long cord that goes all the way into the house, and different types of chargers for different types of mobile phones (Android, iOs, Windows). There are also bigger systems that have a PowerPoint projector for a school setting and lights for health centres. Solar panels can last for up to 15 to 20 years while the devices themselves can last beyond 10 years of continuous use with proper maintenance from more than 400 solar technicians.